Once Upon a Time is Now

The Grimm Curse #1

by Stephen Carpenter

Fifteen year-old Jake Grimm is the last living descendent of the Brothers Grimm, who wrote the famous fairy tales in the 1800's. But Jake grew up with foster parents in Los Angeles, never knowing his true destiny until he ran away from his unhappy foster home, to the place of his birth--Woodland--a small town nestled deep in a Northwestern forest.

In Woodland, Jake discovers that the famous fairy tales are all real, and they are happening today. And Jake, as the last living Grimm, is the only one who can stop the witches, big bad wolves, and evil stepmothers who are all alive and well, and about to wreak havoc in the small town of Woodland, following the death of Jake's great-uncle Eustace.

But these fairy tales creatures are not like those in the old stories. Woodland is a modern place, and the creatures Jake battles seem like completely normal, modern people--to everyone but Jake. Only Jake can see them for what they really are, and, together with his friend and apprentice, Madeleine, he must fight to prevent the evil that is all around the unsuspecting teens at Woodland High. (from the product page at Amazon.com)

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fairy Tales, Paranormal, Fiction, Horror, Supernatural

138 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 10, 2010

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely enjoyed this short story told through the eyes of a young boy who is seeking the truth of his past and finds his family tree is far from normal! Young Jake Grimm discovers his ancestors are the Brothers Grimm, of Grimm Fairy Tales fame and that a curse on the family has left him the last of a long line of 'hunters' who are responsible for keeping humans safe from other-worlders who mean them harm.

Written with the attitude of a young teen, complete with the sarcasm, I found this to be very entertaining. I do wish it was longer, as I could envision so much more that could happen!

Obviously, I'm a reader, not a TV fanatic! I actually did NOT know the author was one of the writers for a series inspired by this tale(?). I can only say that I, for one think this makes a good read for young adults, especially those who do not realize how fantastic the world of books can be! it's short, fast paced and the main character is a 'real' boy!

[Denise Braswell · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a cute story. Not really a novel. Woulda been a good book for a car ride.

[Todd R · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good for a YA novel, not as a Grimm TV tie-in novel. It doesn't expand the Grimm TV universe nor add much of anything to it's canon.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a light easy read. Jake Grimm is the last living descendant of the famous Brothers Grimm. He was sent away from Woodland by his Uncle when his father died and did not return until his Uncle dies. Jake finds out that the fairy tales are real. I agree with some of the other reviewers who posted that this was more of a long story rather than a novel, not enough of a plot or development of characters. The author is the creator of the series of the same name name so perhaps he is too used to writing for television. Good novel for a teen.

[Courtney]

This sounds a lot like the TV show. Need to check that out - maybe it's based off this? (Or vice-versa).

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just a fun, quick read. My husband and I watched every episode of Grimm, back in the day, and loved it. I guess this is how the idea for the TV series started out. Not great literature but just an amusing tale about a young man who has no idea of what the future has in store for him until he shows up in a small town attempting to find his uncle and discovers that unfortunately he's just passed. He inherits his home and his new life's work as a Huntsman, born to rid the world of other worldly beings. Looks like there are 2 additional books in the series and I'm sure I'll read them as well.

[Amy Mcnea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Grimm Curse

This was the first book I’ve read by this author & I really enjoyed it. I was hooked right away, drawn in & it held my attention until the end. I’m going to purchase the next book in the series after I finish this review. It’s a good book, but don’t take my word for it...READ IT!

[Sandy Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

if you liked the television series Grimm you will like this too even though the two differ in several ways. A fun short story.

[anastasia shewchuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

Quick read, great for teen readers, something i will encourage my own daughter to read. Looking forward to reading the rest.

[Norm Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grimm Curse: Once Upon a Time is Now, Stephen Carpenter

The Goodreads blurb about the book is plenty for a review. Adding more could only be a spoiler.

I wavered between 3 stars, liked it, and 4 stars, really liked it. The decision to go with 4 stars actually has a story in itself. I often read books I know fit the kind of stories I love. Turns out, I don't really know what I love, or I love everything, or both. This one, it says 83 pages, my edition was 103 pages, God knows why. I used to read several hundred pages a day, last few years, 50 pages a day no matter how many hours I put into it. Again, not a clue why... eyes, glasses, age, who knows? This one... Start to finish in only a few hours. Twice my “normal” reading rate of late.

Over the last 3 years, on Goodreads, I've been excited to read a few old favorites, and felt compelled to read some “classics”. Truth is, I really loved this book. It is much like the TV series, was quick, kept me wanting to turn pages. I was excited to be reading it. Twice my page total for a day... Alternately, there are books I've always meant to read for all the wrong reasons... I was supposed to... they are classics, etc. Too often I'm finding I'm spending countless hours on a piece of writing I wish excited me, but it is failing horribly... Sad thing is, they aren't actually terrible books; most are terrific, but just didn't hit my reading bone. This book has pushed me towards the decision to brush off books I 'should read' in favor of books I'm hungry to read. Let's see how that goes now. Sorry for the general status update in the middle of a review... so review like...

Exciting book about Jacob Grimm of TV series personality, but not following the TV script very well, and at a much younger age. He escapes his imprisonment of a nightmarish cliche foster care as a teenager who runs away, landing exactly where he is meant to be by all the forces of the universe.

As a Grimm, he is 'supposed to be' the next “Huntsman” for the area in Oregon where he lands. Fortunately his great uncle has trained a Huntsman apprentice, Madeleine, a teen who knows more about Grimms than Jacob ever imagined as “Cruise Crubble” in his previous life.

Through this awkward acquaintance Madeleine and Jacob manage to hold off a nightmare “Grimm Creature” imposed unrestrained on this Earth after the death of his great uncle Eustice Grimm.

As you might imagine there are twists and plenty of plot turns to keep the pages turning. This book seems to me as a YA novel. It is largely about teenage heroes and a bit of teenage issues.

So there you have it... as much 'tell' as I'm going to fork out. Two things..., I really liked this book and, forget the restraints of “you should” and read what you like.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Synopsis:

Jacob Grimm discovers that his life as the boy known as Cruise Crubbel has all been a lie. He soon finds out that he had been sent away from his birthplace in order to keep his identity secret from all the things in the world that would seek him out and do him harm. After feeling compelled to return to his birthplace, Jacob is immediately thrust into a world that he only knew to exist between the covers of a book. He has to make a choice to accept the responsibilities placed upon him by his birth family, run from everything for the rest of his life or face the possibility of never seeing a year past his fifteenth.

Review:

When I began reading this book, I had no idea that the television show, Grimm, had been based upon the book. I had gotten the book based on the blurb from ereaderlove.com and thought it would be an interesting and opposite view on the Grimm fairy tales from the book, UnEnchanted that I had read a few months prior. While I like the show a lot, the book differs from the show in a number of ways. My review will be based upon the book only.

The book is written from the point of view of Jacob, the last living Grimm descendent and typical fifteen year-old. With a quick pace set fairly early, the action revs up as Jacob arrives in town and stays constant until he and his companions deal with the first set of obstacles thrown his way. The sense of urgency is felt within the descriptions of the scenes and character movements so it is easy to get lost within the action of the story. Honestly, it felt as though the poor characters barely had a moment to catch their breath before the next thing happened. I quite liked the fact that it drove me to keep turning the page long after I knew I needed to put the book away for the night. As this is the first in a series, I can't wait to give the others a look.

[Josèphe-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of my new favorites! This isn't the first time I've read a fictional story about descendants of the Brothers Grimm, but it is one of the best executed. There's something about the brothers having recorded so many of the fairy tales that we all know and love... their collection of folk tales have inspired countless others since then. Reminiscent of the "Spiderwick Chronicles" series, (which I enjoyed immensely) this story has it all: action, adventure, suspense, humor, etc… Character development was spot on as Jake – the reluctant hero – uncovers his forgotten past, which will determine both his present and his future. At first glance, this novella may seem like your average young adult fantasy, but once you read the whole thing, you’ll find that some encouraging messages are being conveyed. The values of family, legacy, and duty resonate at certain points throughout the book. I became so engrossed in all the excitement that I honestly didn't want it to end! The only aspect I wasn't too keen on: the whole high school stereotyping and excessive teen drama. But that's the target audience, so I can't complain, and that stuff DID add a comedic touch to the plot. Nevertheless, I am practically bursting to read the other books in the trilogy! :)

[Janie Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book from free on Amazon and I was not really sure about it at first because it is kind of different for me. Now I am glad that I read it and look forward to the other 2 books in this trilogy, The Girl in the Red Hoodie and Snow White. Both featuring Jacob Grimm. This one flowed easily enough and grabbed my attention.

I found that I really liked Jacob and Madeline a lot. Since he lost both his parents, Jacob led a pretty dreadful life in the foster care system. When he was young he thought his name was Cruise Crubbel. Which was a pretty funny name and a funny story behind it. Then he learns he is a part of the Grimm family who were cursed with the knowledge that all those stories we know as Fairy tales really are true.

When he arrived at his destination I felt like Jacob was a little annoying at first due to his unbelief, but he grew on me as he grew to who he was supposed to be. Madeline was one of the characters that very boisterous and outgoing, almost to the point of too much. But she had reason for all the excitement. I won't go into that here.

I think the author did fairly well, well enough for me to want to read more. I recommend this to anyone who likes a little darker take on the fairy tales.

[Tmholland38 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another quick read. I read it primarily because 1) it was free on Kindle and 2) it served loosely as the basis for the NBC show Grimm, for which Stephen Carpenter is one of the principle writers. I'm always curious as to how works are adapted for tv. Not surprisingly, there are some huge differences between the book and the show. Fans of the show may feel rather disoriented given that the books main character is a runaway teenager. After seeing the depth of the mythology on the show I was a little disappointed that the Otherworld characters, or more to the point, character, was really glossed over in the book. That being said, the writing flowed very well and had a great conversational tone that made the pages fly by. I finished with the sense that the book was really a launching point for what was intended to be an entire series. All in all, it satisfied my curiosity.

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story that apparently inspired the TV series "Grimm" as told by a petulant, smart aleck 13-yr-old is kinda frustrating. And disappointing. Do not go into this book thinking it will be the novelized version of the TV series. As other reviewers have stated, I guess that I, too, was expecting something more in line with the TV series that I've come to love and anticipate every week. This seems to be more along the line of the R.L. Stine books and pre-teen TV specials. I am a teacher and I teach petulant teenagers. I am awfully glad I read this book for free as a "borrowed" book. Younger readers may like it, I think. Mr. Carpenter, I love the TV series. Please market this book as YA--emphasis on the Y!!!

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light bit of easy reading, ok story/characters

This book only took me about 3 hours to read, easy to read in an afternoon for many people. It was short, but easy to read and kept me engaged fairly well. It's clearly based on the show, Grimm, as it's written by the creator of that show.

The stories definitely get into the grittier versions of the old fairytales, but they were bogged down by the annoying writing for the teenage protagonists. The whole reveal of Jake Grimm's past is a bit convoluted and calls for extreme suspension of disbelief.

There was a certain charm that I found in the quality of the writing, like reading something from a creative writing class and enjoying it, but knowing it could be better with more effort.

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing story, but very short. It seems more like an intro than an entire book. In this story, Jacob Grimm, a fifteen year old orphan is drawn to his grandfather's house in Woodland when his grandfather dies. He learns that he is the last remaining Grimm, destined to become the Huntsman to control the evil fairy tale characters. He takes on a Gorgon, who, in this book is a witch who eats children, and she has snakes in her hair and other places, but she does not turn people to stone. Jacob learns about his legacy with the help of Madeline, a teenage girl who her grandfather had been training to be his apprentice. I enjoyed the story. I got it for free and it was well worth it. I think I might have been upset if I had paid for it because it really is quite short.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very well written little book...more a longish story than a novel...and I really enjoyed it. Nothing spectacular, but decent story telling with a likable hero. Definitely geared towards older children or young adults, but enjoyable for adults, too. At least for me. Obviously, as I have read, this is where the idea for the Grimm tv show came from, but of course, many changes were made along the way. I actually like the book better than the tv show. A quick and easy read, and the follow up book, The Girl In The Red Hoodie is fun, too.

Bookin' It

[Ciara1973 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, quick read. I noticed some grammar and editing mistakes and was surprised.I didn't expect such mistakes from this book. I thought this would be professionaly edited and someone would proofread it.

I've seen the tv show once or twice and the book is nothing like the show.
There was hardly any character development, because the story was too short and the plot was rushed.

The writing style was unusual and different and told from Jacob's POV. I will be reading the two others in this series (got all of them for free at a different time period). The first was a good read and fast paced. I can't wait to read the next in this series.

[Kasi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a solid book. Most reviews complain that it is too short but I think it is a good length for a book molding itself after the Grimm fairy tales, which were all fairly short, add in the knowledge that this book was written by the creator of the Grimm television series and I really believe this book is what it was meant to be.

The story is solid and good, even short it had a full plot development and since it is more written as a type of journal entry the character development is at the level I would expect.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next two books in the trilogy.

[Eric Ugland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know a few people took umbrage with the style of the piece, but I found the writer's voice refreshing. I mean, I'd probably grow tired of it if the book was longer, but for the quick read it held a sense of fun and tongue-in-cheek-ness which I enjoyed.

Just so y'all know, the author of this book is one of the creators of the new NBC show Grimm, and that likely means there won't be any sequels, which is truly a shame, at least for me. I like the character and the world that's been built. For potential authors out there, here is a good example of both world-building and adaptation.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had read a lot of the reviews where people were saying that this book was a combination of the show Grimm and Once Upon a Time. I haven't watched either of those shows, so I feel like maybe I was at an advantage.

I enjoyed the book, and I find the story line interesting. In fact, I immediately downloaded and started the next in the series. If you enjoy the true version of Grimm's fairy tales, give this story a chance...Jacob and Maddy are strong enough characters to keep the story moving.

[John Wohlers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a real hard time with the writing style. Parts of the book were written as if the main character was writing down his adventure. Unfortunately for the reader, the main character is a high school dropout. This form of writing had me skipping a number of pages of the book.

I do think it is a great title for young adults, while not likely to draw as many people into reading as a Harry Potter did, it would be a good title for early teens interested in fairy tales.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It was part fairy tale, part suspense novel. I assume it is the first book in a series, and I would look for another book as I enjoyed this one. It kept me entertained and curious throughout the book. It seemed geared more towards young teens, and I would think totally appropriate for them. I would love it if my kids would read it, but they do not like to read. Definitely a keeper.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the premise of this and thought it was going to be like a YA version of ABC's Once Upon a Time. It read more like a book proposal/draft than a completed book. The pace was too fast which left the plot underdeveloped and I am not sure why the author chose to write an 83 page book. I found the main character to be derivative as he had the humor of Percy Jackson and many other YA heroes that slay monsters. I think it had the potential to be a 4 or even 5 star book though.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picked this up as part of a free kindle deal-- i was intrigued with new advent of fairy tale based shows lately....but if this is supposed to be an inspiration I really don't see much correlation. - I am assuming this is the start of a series since it just leaves you hanging and there is not much depth. The story did not spark enough interest to draw me to look into follow on books.
It might be an ok tween reading.

[Kaylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story...not well written. It needed more emotional meat, detail, or intrigue... but I definitely felt it was lacking. However, I am comparing this book to John Connely's Book of Lost Things which is along the same story line and incredibly hard to put down. So maybe I'm spoiled? Either way, it at least satisfied my want for screwed up fairy-tales.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this book for free on my Kindle Fire. I was interested it because I read a children's book a while ago with a very similar premise. The premise is that the last living descendant of the Brothers Grimm has to contend with fairy tale creatures.

This book was a quick easy read, but there wasn't much to it. It was just kind of a simple story with no exceptional qualities.

[Lavonne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book borrows so strongly from the recent TV shows, "Grimm" and "Once Upon a Time". There's nothing wrong with that, if the book could stand alone as a well-written story. However, it seems to be written for a teenager, by a teenager. Writing in all caps doesn't convey emotion in the written novel. It is just annoying and amaturish.

[▫♥▫jenny▫♥▫ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! It reminded me of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which I loved also. I downloaded The Grimm Curse to my Kindle for two reasons: It was FREE, and I had heard it was the inspiration for the series Grimm on NBC. This turned out to be a quick, short, good read that I would have most definitely have paid for.